The Powerful Energy of the Super Blood Wolf Moon
Every full moon has a special magic, but a Super Blood Wolf Moon has a group of converging astronomical qualities that make it extra powerful:
The Supermoon occurs when the moon is both full and at the point in its orbit where it’s closest to Earth. Through a telescope, it appears both larger and brighter than a typical full moon, though you might not notice that when viewing it with the naked eye.
A full lunar eclipse will give the Supermoon a red glow, creating a phenomenon known as the Blood Moon. Visible from the United States and Canada (as well as anywhere else on Earth where it’s nighttime), the eclipse begins at 10:34 pm, and reaches totality starting at 11:41 pm.
Native American tribes gave distinctive seasonal names to each month’s full moon. In other cultures, January’s Wolf Moon was known as Old Moon, Ice Moon, Snow Moon, and the Moon after Yule. This Wolf Moon reaches its peak just after midnight on Monday.
Bask in its glow.
The lunar phases can parallel our intentions here on earth: The days during the new moon are auspicious for a fresh start. The full moon is the phase for completing projects. The last quarter moon is the time to release and let go. (And we can access those energies and intentions even when clouds obscure the moon!)
“When the moon is full, you can utilize its powerful energy in a myriad of ways,” says Sasha Graham, a Kripalu presenter and the author of seven books on tarot. “Imagine it illuminating you, use it for psychic or dream work, or just bask in its glow. Then, as the moon begins to shrink back or wane, think about what you want to get rid of, make smaller in your life. Think about reducing negativity and stress. I find working with lunar cycles can add a great power boost to your life and help you feel mysteriously witchy!”
Megha Nancy Buttenheim, CEO and founding director of Let Your Yoga Dance® LLC, and a Kripalu faculty member for more than 30 years, co-created Kripalu’s Chandra Namaskar, or Moon Salutation. “In the late 80s, I wondered why so little attention in yoga was focused on the moon, as did my Kripalu Yoga teaching colleagues,” Megha recalls. “Sun Salutations come from the masculine historical tradition of yoga, but we wanted to make it more accessible to the scores of women who were getting more and more interested in the practice. While the Sun Salutation raises prana; we wanted the Moon Salute to recognize the downward flow of energy.”
Attune to moon-inspired awe.
Spectacles in the sky are also an opportunity to attune to the beneficial experience of awe. Researchers point to two distinct qualities of awe that differentiate it from other positive emotions, such as happiness or gratitude. Awe holds a feeling of vastness—it is bigger than our understanding of the world—and there is almost a magical quality to it that shifts us from focusing on our small selves to embracing a broader connection. Studies conducted at Berkeley and elsewhere suggest that when exposed to striking images of nature, we are more likely to offer assistance to someone in need or to engage in acts of kindness.
Reflect on what changes, and what is eternal.
While contemporary science explains lunar phenomenon, celestial events are a reminder of a time when our ancestors could only make sense of such occurrences through myth and meaning-making.
“I once saw a lunar eclipse without knowing it was going to happen,” says Micah Mortali, Director of Outdoor Education and Programming at Kripalu and Dean and Founder of the Kripalu School of Mindful Outdoor Leadership. “I was looking at the full moon and then I went inside a building. When I came out two minutes later, the moon was gone. I panicked! It was a crazy and terrifying experience. I kept looking for the moon. Where did it go? Suddenly it began to reappear and I felt a great sense of relief. I can only imagine what that must have been like for people living long ago.”
Here’s hoping the weather will clear in time to give us a glimpse of the Super Blood Wolf Moon. You can watch a live stream of the lunar eclipse here.